1. Technical Field
The present disclosure is directed to sewing devices, and more particularly to imaging systems for use with sewing devices and related imaging methods.
2. Related Art
Throughout American history, quilting has become a popular pastime. The craft today has experienced resurgence in popularity and enjoys significant participation by hobbyists in quilting shows, magazines, newsletters, clubs, societies, and the like. Although traditional quilt making may be at the root of this resurgence, the development of modern textiles, machinery, and labor saving sewing devices can be contributing to this resurgence, as many activities compete for the time of the average hobbyist or crafts person.
Quilting typically involves stitching together multiple layers of fabric to form a fabric assembly. A quilt typically includes at least an upper fabric layer, a lower fabric layer, and a layer of batting positioned between the upper and lower layers. Quilts can be created in various shapes, sizes, and can be used in many different ways such as to cover beds or mounting on walls.
Designs and patterns can be sewn or stitched into a quilt by hand or with a sewing machine, thereby adding an artistic element to the craft of quilt making. Some designs or patterns can be elaborate, thus requiring a high degree of skill and dexterity at the part of the crafts person. In some cases, sewing machines can be equipped with pre-programmed stitching patterns to assist in performing these tasks more accurately and with a greater degree of intricacy than when quilting by hand. More importantly, quilting can require hours of time if performed manually even by the most skilled crafts person.
Due to the significant time requirements to manually create a quilt, industrial quilting machines or quilting assemblies have been developed for use in producing quilts in high quantities. These types of industrial quilting assemblies typically include heavy-duty, bulky sewing machines disposed in a stationary position wherein the quilt, mounted on a quilting frame, is moved relative to the sewing machine. One disadvantage with these types of industrial quilting assemblies is the significant work area required to move and position the quilting frame relative to the sewing machine.
Household sewing machines have resulted in both significant time savings and quality improvements over traditional hand sewing methods and industrial style sewing machines. Nevertheless, manipulating large pieces of cloth, such as a quilt, with respect to stationary sewing machines is typically cumbersome and a laborious process. Long arm quilting machines have been developed in part to address the problems associated with manipulating large quilts while stitching together multiple layers of cloth. Long arm quilting machines make it possible to move the sewing machine relative to the quilting frame typically in two degrees of motion: along a longitudinal axis across a width dimension of the quilt, and a lateral axis along the length dimension of the quilt.
When using a long arm quilting machine, the long arm quilting machine is typically mounted to a quilting table. The quilting table typically has a width dimension of about 8-14 feet and includes multiple rollers upon which the quilt is mounted. Some of the rollers usually hold that portion of the quilt that is unstitched (e.g., different layers of cloth and batting) and the other roller holds the stitched portion of the quilt. When the quilt is mounted to the rollers, the rollers are spaced apart a distance typically about 18 to 24 inches. That portion of the quilt extending between the rollers is available for stitching by the long arm quilting machine. One of the rollers is positioned within a neck cutout portion of the quilting machine and the other rollers are positioned outside of the quilting machine. The operator can create stitches on the exposed part of the quilt by moving the quilting machine in the longitudinal and traverse directions relative to the rollers and fabric mounted to the rollers.
When creating stitches on the quilt with the quilting machine, the operator typically can see only the top surface of the quilt where the stitches are being formed. Only after later rolling up a stitched portion of the quilt onto one of the rollers is the bottom side of the quilt positioned such that the operator can see the stitched pattern on the bottom side of the quilt.
Any defects in the stitching on the quilt typically have to be removed by hand. The unstitching process can be extremely time-consuming. Some common stitching defects when quilting include poor thread tension, loops in the thread, tucks in the fabric, and incorrect pattern of the stitches.